{"product_id":"star-fruit-9798992202717","title":"Star Fruit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"[W]itty and engaging...The themes of love, friendship, and unwavering loyalty shine through the muck and mire of contemporary bigotry, highlighting the queer 'glimmers' identified at the start of the book.\" \u003c\/strong\u003e- \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003c\/em\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Star Fruit\u003c\/em\u003e takes a bold and refreshing look at queer identity, resilience, and allyship in the African Diaspora.\" \u003c\/strong\u003e- \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrans Rights Readathon 2025 Author Spotlight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSet in a high school in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles-aka the Black Beverly Hills-Star Fruit follows high school seniors Ari (a gay autistic teen), Atlas (a young trans man), and Ya, their cishet ally and best friend, as they navigate self- acceptance, unrequited love, and homophobia.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA timely, heartfelt, and much-needed story for queer youth, Star Fruit illustrates the nuances of queerphobia and queer identity in the African Diaspora and unapologetically celebrates Black LGBTQIA+ joy and resilience.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the student theater committee rejects yet another one of Ari's queer PGM (people of the global majority) scripts, Ya-Ari's best friend and Atlas's cousin-takes matters into her own hands and convinces their principal to put on the play anyway. The only condition is that they'll have to fund the production themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing Ya's lead, Ari and Atlas reluctantly agree to take on a project that feels unconquerable. As the three race against the clock to gather the cast, crew, and funds, their friendships are tested when new relationships, jealousy, and resentment threaten to tear apart their lifelong bond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf that wasn't enough, a queerphobic parent organization spearheads a series of protests, online transphobic and homophobic hate, and violence, after reading Ari's script.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll the while, Atlas struggles to fully accept himself, Ari grapples with the daunting challenge of navigating her autism and standing up for herself, and Ya confronts what makes a good ally.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTold from Ari, Atlas, and Ya's alternating POVs, Star Fruit invaluably reminds us that all Black lives matter\u003c\/em\u003e-\u003cem\u003eas do their joy and vulnerability.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKingsberry, Kamryn:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Kamryn Kingsberry studied creative writing at Columbia University. She's originally from Los Angeles, California. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's producing her fiction podcast series Inquizitive Kat Books, printing her zine Lips \u0026amp; Legends, or posting on social @inquizitivekatbooks. Kamryn currently lives in New York City.","brand":"Ikb Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51454076616978,"sku":"9798992202717","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b2c252ca-065d-4c42-8ea8-05e6c439511e.jpg?v=1751994098","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/star-fruit-9798992202717","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}